Top Six New Zealand Horror Films
New Zealand is the land of the kiwi. Yes, that is a moniker for the people of the beautiful island based upon the kiwi bird (thanks to cartoonists from the early 1900s).
Though the island for its civility and beauty, they have produced some high quality horror films.
Comedy in Blood
There is only one horror without comedy on this list of the nation’s very best. That particular dramatic horror packs a punch. However, the New Zealand horror films on this list all have solid and engaging narratives inhabited by compelling characters.
Enjoy the top 6!
6. Deathgasm (2015) 3.5 stars
Metalheads Brodie (Milo Hawthorne) and Zakk (James Blake) play “The Black One”, which unleashes a demon upon their town. With a few friends, can they rescue the townsfolk and prevent the Apocalypse? Rock on! \m/
5. Braindead (aka Dead Alive, 1992) 3.5 stars
Five years after releasing Bad Taste, Peter Jackson (not a Hobbit) unleashed this blood feast of zombie power after a woman’s bit by a Sumatran rat-monkey. Now, it’s up to Lionel Cosgrove (Timothy Balme) to make certain the dead stay dead. Beautifully shot by Murray Milne.
4. Black Sheep (2006) 3.5 stars
New Zealand has roughly seven times more sheep than people, which probably inspired Jonathan King’s tale about a genetic experiment on sheep gone wrong Find out what happens to a small farm when sheep become blood-craving monsters!
3. The Devil’s Rock (2011) 3.5 stars
On the eve of D-Day, Kiwi commandos are about to blast a Nazi outpost in the Channel Islands. Upon entry, they uncover an Axis plot to call upon demons to win the war for Germany. A great battle of wits and will with a potent performance from Gina Varela.
2. Housebound (2014) 3.5 stars
A court decision forces Kylie Bucknell (Morgana O’Reilly) to head back home for house arrest. While trying to navigate her annoying mother (Rima Te Wiata), she must fend off a nasty entity that doesn’t want her there…
1. What We Do In the Shadows (2014) 4.5 stars
In this riotous mockumentary, Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi introduce us to a group of vampires. Forget finding victims, these vamps have to worry about rent, household chores, and other feats of the mundane. Oh, and what an ending!
The Plot Sickens: Crash takes a look back at The Autopsy of Jane Doe!
Billy Crash
Also known as William D. Prystauk, he loves great, in-depth characters and storytelling in horror, and likes to see heads roll. However, if you kill a dog on screen he’ll cry like a baby. Crash, an award-winning screenwriter and novelist, co-hosts THE LAST KNOCK horror podcast on iTunes and Spotify (among other venues), and can also be found on Twitter, LinkedIn, IMDb, Amazon, Behance, YouTube, and Instagram. He’s currently in pre-production on a dramatic thriller feature while working on the fourth novel in his award-winning Kink Noir crime thriller series.
THE LAST KNOCK horror podcast is a Crash Palace Productions’ featured show. Besides this site, you can find THE LAST KNOCK on iTunes and Spotify (and more) with new shows posted every other Sunday at 9 PM ET.
Crash Palace Productions website design and creation from Brian Yount Digital Enterprises with banner, gif, and all THE LAST KNOCK art from Palko Designs.
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Note: What’s up with the one-man shows? Never fear, Jonny Numb and Billy Crash are still The Last Knock duo! But due to work demands, feature film pre-production on Viveka Moon, the release of the crime thriller Bondage in the Kink Noir series, and individual writing projects, time has been demanding. The pair will get on the same wavelength soon enough!
(What We Do in the Shadows promotional photo from the Nerdist.)